Evidence-Based Practice EBP

Evidence-Based Practice

            The EBP process is the sequence of steps followed by health care providers in order to make sound clinical decisions. It has six key steps. The first step starts with asking a clinical question while the last step involves the dissemination of the generated evidence within the organization and beyond. The EBP process is important to the nursing practice because it promotes the ongoing learning of health care providers, enhances clinical decision making, promotes quality care and desirable patient outcomes, and contributes to knowledge development (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2011). My specialty track is palliative care nursing. I chose the specialty because it positions the nurse to impact health care delivery and reforms in the future. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, (2018), one of the key factors that will continue to impact the increasing demand for nurses is the increase in the number of patients with chronic illnesses. Holistic care for terminally-ill patients is required to ensure the effective management of symptoms and the presenting distress. The palliative care specialty will enable me to make the lives of the dying patients comfortable and dignified.

            One of the aspects of palliative care that I am passionate about is relieving pain and suffering. I am passionate about the concept because it captures a key need by the terminally-ill patients. Responding to this need is crucial to the delivery of holistic palliative care. Most palliative care patients suffer prolonged episodes of pain. The feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, anxiety and fear due to the impending death lead to considerable emotional and psychological distress for the patients and their families (Coelho, Parola, Escobar-Bravo, & Apóstolo, 2016). Therefore, implementing interventions to relieve the physical, emotional and psychological distress in the terminally-ill patients is crucial to comforting the patient and their family and protecting the dignity of the dying person.